Trancoso's Hidden Jews

More than five centuries after Portugal's Jews were compelled to convert to Catholicism, the Torah has finally returned to Trancoso.

Slowly but energetically, the festive procession made its way through the narrow and winding alleyways of the ancient Portuguese town.

The sounds of buoyant Hebrew song cascaded off the cool stone walls, prompting residents to open their windows and stare inquisitively at the unfamiliar sight, as dozens of people from across the country danced and clapped in a rousing surge of emotion.

Among the participants, who were all swept away in the moment, many a moist eye could be seen glistening in the midday sun at this remarkable and most unexpected turn of events.

More than five centuries after Portugal's Jews were compelled to convert to Catholicism, the Torah has finally returned to Trancoso.

In a moving ceremony organized with the local municipality this past Sunday, Shavei Israel, the organization I founded and chair, arranged for the dedication of a Torah scroll to inaugurate the village's new Jewish cultural and religious center.

It will serve the large numbers of B'nai Anusim (people whose Iberian Jewish ancestors were forcibly converted to Catholicism in the 14th and 15th centuries and whom historians refer to by the derogatory term "Marranos") who reside in the area.

The facility, named the Isaac Cardoso Center for Jewish Interpretation, is named after a 17th-century Trancoso-born physician and philosopher who came from a family of B'nai Anusim. Cardoso later moved to Spain with his family and then fled to Venice to escape the Inquisition, where he and his brother Miguel publicly embraced Judaism.

He went on to publish a number of important works on philosophy, medicine and theology, including a daring treatise in 1679 titled The Excellence of the Hebrews, which defended Judaism and the Jewish people from various medieval stereotypes such as ritual murder accusations and the blood libel.

The initiative for the center came from Trancoso's mayor, Julio Sarmento, who invested more than $1.5 million in erecting the modern structure, which will include an exhibition about the Jewish history of Portugal and the renewal of Jewish life in the region in recent years.

At Sarmento's insistence, the building also contains a new synagogue, Beit Mayim Hayim, "the House of Living Waters," whose name was suggested by Rabbi Raphael Weinberg of Jerusalem, the first rabbi to visit Trancoso.

Near the entrance to the synagogue is a memorial wall filled with the names of B'nai Anusim who were tried and punished by the Inquisition for secretly practicing Judaism, including some who were publicly burned at the stake in the 18th century, nearly three centuries after their ancestors had been dragged to the baptismal font.

Located in the Guarda district in Portugal's northeastern interior, the charming village of Trancoso was home to a flourishing Jewish community prior to the expulsion and forced conversion of Portugal's Jews in 1497.

A local journalist and historian, Jose Levy Domingos, who has spent decades lovingly recording and preserving the town's Jewish past, has discovered well over one hundred stone etchings and other physical traces of that bygone era in Trancoso's old Jewish quarter, some of which are poignant and emotive.

On typical Jewish homes, for example, the windows were laid out in a decidedly asymmetrical fashion, at varying heights and lengths, creating a sense of architectural imperfection and inadequacy.

Domingos explains that this was done intentionally because the Jews wanted to underline that only the Temple which once stood in Jerusalem embodied perfection.

Many of the medieval homes have crosses engraved adjacent to the entrance as an ostensible statement of piety. Fearful of running afoul of the watchful eyes of the inquisition, Trancoso's B'nai Anusim also engaged in this practice, albeit with a twist.

Domingos points out that at the bottom of the etching, they added what appear to be three prongs, as if holding up the cross. But to Jewish eyes, it is clear what their real intention was as the three spokes clearly form an inverted "Shin," the Hebrew letter that is often used to denote one of the Divine names.

This was how Trancoso's hidden Jews sought to cling to their heritage, subtly indicating that they had not forgotten, nor abandoned, the faith of their forefathers.

The Jewish spark cannot be extinguished. We truly are the immortal nation.

It is in memory of their tenacity that we gathered dozens of their descendants, all of them Portuguese B'nai Anusim, to take part in the ceremony this past Sunday. Symbolically, we began the procession with the Torah facing a large and imposing cathedral in the very same public square where the Inquisition had once tormented Trancoso's hidden Jews.

Speaking to the assembled crowd, my voice cracked with emotion as I pointed at the basilica and told the B'nai Anusim, "we are here today because your forefathers did not surrender to those who sought to force them to abandon their faith. They bravely and stubbornly clung to their Jewishness in secret, risking everything. Let us all take inspiration from their example."

As we neared the synagogue, I noticed a young man, one of the B'nai Anusim from a nearby village, looking longingly at the Torah, but seemingly shying away from it at the same time. Taking the scroll, I went over to him and offered it to him to hold. He hesitated for a moment, the surprise on his face giving way to joy as he lovingly embraced it and danced it towards its destination.

It was, I later discovered, the first time since his ancestors had converted to Catholicism in1497 that he or anyone else in his family had ever held a Torah in their arms, as far as he knew.

And then I understood as clearly as I have ever felt before: the Jewish spark cannot be extinguished.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

The writer served as deputy communications director in the Prime Minister’s Office under former premier Binyamin Netanyahu. He is the founder and Chairman of Shavei Israel (www.shavei.org), a Jerusalem-based group that facilitates the return of the Bnei Menashe and other “lost Jews” to the Jewish people.

I rejoicing with them.Story like this is fuel to my soul,keeping me not to stop and not to slow down in my Torah learning andJewish life discovering.Hashem Lowe Them.

(21)
No name,
August 1, 2013 3:31 PM

Jewish???

I have mixed feeling. Are they really Jewish???they married Jewish ?? Or mixed????they just have to convert to be a real Jew .

Anonymous,
August 30, 2013 2:18 PM

response to No name, "Jewish"?

No, they are descendants of Jews who were FORCED to concert to Catholicism.

(20)
Antonio Perez,
July 31, 2013 4:15 PM

Spanish forced to convert to Catholicism

I believe my family too was forced to convert to Catholicism. We have never lost the memory of our ancestry. Although these many years (generations) later we're firmly established in our church with no desire to depart. I've always felt close to Jews and I feel most comfortable in their company, although their traditions are foreign to me. I appreciate AISH for giving me an opportunity to connect with my Jewishness, such as it is. I learn so much and find it very enriching. I love the videos and pass them along, although I think the Jews I know don't care for them as much as I do.

Anonymous,
August 25, 2013 6:28 AM

feeling close to Jews but....

Really, no desire to depart your church even when you know that your ancestors were burnt alive for practicing judaism in hiding? How can you believe in a church that has done so much killing in the name of God?

(19)
Aron,
July 30, 2013 5:12 PM

Really?

Interesting story, but I think that much of these stories are heavily romanticized. I do not dispute that these people might have Jewish ancestry, but that's nothing out of the ordinary in Spain or Italy or even the Middle East. According to this logic, we could reinvent everyone as Jews, just because they had a handful of few jewish ancestors (amongst 1000 of non-jewish ancestors) some time in the 15th century.More sad are the attempts to turn random mountain tribes in India into a "lost tribe". No genetic or historic evidence, and yet these people were lured to Israel. And who can blame them, given the opportunity for a better life.I am all for people assuming faith in HaShem, but for the right reasons.

(18)
Anonymous,
July 30, 2013 3:11 AM

Proof of Jewish ancestry?

There is a tradition in my family about our Jewish ancestry, plus some surviving & fragmented customs. But I need to convert to be "Jewish". Do these people convert?

(17)
Bobby5000,
July 30, 2013 3:05 AM

Teaches that religions cannot be judged by one time or passage

Today many Catholics are among the strongest supporters of Israel in the U.S. Evangelisical Christians too. In 12th to 15th Century Spain, Moslems promoted religious tolerance towards Jews.

Anonymous,
August 31, 2013 6:28 AM

Why tolerance? how about pride?

That is a myth, the Jews were dhimmis (second class citizens) in spain . Besides they had to pay the Jizya (tax for protection) as is the case when Moslems rule. In any case, why do you want to be tolerated? rather, you should feel equal and act equal.

(16)
arnoldn3,
July 30, 2013 12:00 AM

There is mystical dimension to the Jewish renessance in Iberia.

I have a feeling of great anticipation. These Jews who kepttheir fundamental faith and heroic loyalty will give rise to a generation that will bring light to the world.It will take time and at my age of 93 I do not expect to see it.

(15)
Doris,
July 29, 2013 9:35 PM

Tears of joy roll down for the strength of the human spirit, for our ability to withstand attempts to destroy our connections, our heritage.

(14)
Alvin,
July 29, 2013 2:00 PM

The windows - another view

Another possible reason why the windows in the town are asymmetrical is in order that neighbors and passersby not be able to look in so easily. This regard for privacy is an ancient Jewish practice - when Bilaam (no friend of the Jews saw it being done in the desert, he effusively praised Israel (Numbers 24:5).

(13)
Alan Bluman,
July 29, 2013 10:49 AM

How many are returning?

I would be very interested to know how many Spanish and Poruguese are actually returning to their true religion and do you think this trend will eventually replenish the numbers who are marrying out through ignorance
of their Jewish faith, heritage and responsibility to our future generations ? If the numbers were sufficient and this truly were the case, then this would be yet another miracle from Hashem

(12)
Anonymous,
July 29, 2013 12:20 AM

Jewish in hiding in the USA

I thought my family was the only one that lived like I did, growing up. (Catholic to the world, and secretly Jewish). When my son was born, I needed to "set the record straight" for him. When he thought he was the only Jew left in the world, in his generation, I "converted" to what I always was, a practicing Jew, but no longer hiding in the USA. I knew nothing of the Spanish inquisition, or this history. What a shock to find out how many of us have the same roots. As a rabbi once said to me, the "Jewish Spark" cannot be extinguished. L'Chaim!

(11)
Ann Canada,
July 28, 2013 11:37 PM

The Spark of Life

That tiny spark is as enduring as all the stars in the sky...and pleases HaShem's eyes as His stars fill ours with awe and gratitude.

(10)
tiferet,
July 28, 2013 8:30 PM

Bring the Torah back to Eretz Yisrael.

(9)
Doris,
July 28, 2013 8:03 PM

Encouraging

So encouraging to read your article. What is happening there in Portugal is truly awesome. I definitley will share your article with more people.

(8)
darrell,
July 28, 2013 7:16 PM

hidden heritage

I was in my late 60's befpre ,my 85 year old aunt told me my great grandfather was a german jew and my grand father was not Pennsylvania dutch., such a loss. my wife name was wise, Weiss, weisz,whatever. so much heritage has been lost, hiding from a hostile environmentDarrell aultman/altman-burnworth.

(7)
Anonymous,
July 28, 2013 6:44 PM

excellent articel

but as an American Jew whose ancestors have been here for many generations. I/we resent ignorant people puttingus down by claiming falsely that " marranos" is a slur. We are proud of the word.

(6)
Anonymous,
July 28, 2013 6:26 PM

Marrano is not derogatory!!

We marrano descendants know it is a word we invented from MARA Hebrew for bitter.. We ere & are the BITTER ONES. That Anti-semitesd in Iberia & here on line think it to be derogatory is a joke on them & you who try to belittle us & our heritage.

(5)
Anonymous,
July 28, 2013 6:11 PM

As I have said before

When one is born a Jew they are always and forever a Jew. There is a longing in the heart that seems insatiable. I would even include the secular Jew also. They just don't realize it. But there is coming a day when all of Judaism will realize and find the fulfillment of their longing.

(4)
Anonymous,
July 28, 2013 5:20 PM

This is such a beautiful article and so happy for these Jewish people to be embracing their religion. We just talked about this very thing in Torah Study.

(3)
Monica,
July 28, 2013 5:12 PM

Welcome back!

Welcome back dear cousins!

(2)
soraya,
July 28, 2013 4:54 PM

beautiful story, beautiful work.

Yevarech'cha Hashem for your wonderful work.

(1)
Andre Ranulfo,
July 28, 2013 11:23 AM

In Brazil.

There are so many b'nai anussim in Brazil. We are the descendants of those portugueses and spaniards jews who manage to scape from the Iberian Peninsula to Brazil.

Here, in Brazil, the "marranos" are doing whatever they can to return to judaism. But for reasons that I still don't undertand, all doors are colosed to them.

Parabes (Congratulations) to our brothers in Portugal and the Shavei Israel.

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!